Debt ceiling increase $5.365 trillion or 90 percent under Bush

Republican who voted for debt ceiling increase  

The debt ceiling was raised on seven occasions during President George W. Bush's two terms in office, from $5.95 trillion in 2001 to nearly double that, $11.315 trillion, in 2009 - an increase of $5.365 trillion or 90 percent increase over 8 years.

Under Bush the debt ceiling increased:

    by $450 billion to $6.4 trillion in June 2002;

    by $984 billion to $7.384 trillion 11 months later, in May 2003;

    by $800 billion to $8.184 trillion 18 months later, in November 2004;

    by $781 billion to $8.965 trillion 16 months later, in March 2006;

    by $850 billion to $9.815 trillion 18 months later, in September 2007;

    by $800 billion to $10.615 trillion 10 months later, in July 2008;

    and by $700 billion to $11.315 trillion three months later, in October 2008.

Immigration Reform - the Cost

                                                                                                                                                                                 May 6, 2013  Chapter one      

Heritage Foundation Estimate,

The conservative Heritage Foundation has issued a scathing report against the immigration reform bill proposed by the Senate’s “Gang of Eight,” arguing that the bill would cost more than $6 trillion Dollars a claim summarily rejected by Republicans pushing for the bill.

Gang of Eight by-Party Senators “It probably understates real future costs because it under counts the number of unlawful immigrants and dependents who will actually receive amnesty and underestimates significantly the future growth in welfare and medical benefits,” Rechtor and Richwine write.The report states that legalizing current illegal immigrants would cost $9.4 trillion over a lifetime and pay just $3.1 trillion in taxes, resulting in a net cost of $6.3 trillion. And the authors of the study, Robert Rechtor and Jason Richwine, say that’s a conservative estimate.

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Thursday, June 20
Chapter Two
In a new report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that estimates the fiscal and economic impact of the immigration reform legislation taking shape in the Senate. Not surprisingly, budget analysts found that a net increase of 10.4 million people living in the United States over the next decade, and an increase of 16 million over 20 years, would be a tremendous shot in the arm. 

The CBO found that over the next decade direct spending would increase by $262 billion if, among other measures, the Senate immigration bill is passed, opening a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million immigrants now in the United States illegally. But at the same time, the CBO calculated that with so many more people working, revenues would soar by $459 billion over the same decade; the federal deficit would go down by almost $200 billion. Likewise, the CBO found the legislation would boost the country’s overall economic output by 3.3 percent over the next decade, and by 5.4 percent over two decades, compared to what it would be without reform.

On Thursday June 20th, Republican senators reportedly made progress in formulating a security plan that would satisfy enough border hawks to ensure passage of a bill. We worry about the price, in dollars and unneeded infrastructure; but the main thing is to keep moving toward a bill that will bring most of these hard workers out of the shadows.

Drumbeat to war!, we will be greeted as liberators. Dick Cheney

Q: Do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and bloody battle with significant American casualties?. 

We will be greeted as liberators.

Q: Mr. Russert: If your analysis is not correct, and we're not treated as liberators, but as conquerors, and the Iraqis begin to resist, particularly in Baghdad, do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and bloody battle with significant American casualties?

Vice President Cheney: I don't think it's likely to unfold that way, Tim (Tim Russert), because, I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators. I've talked with a lot of Iraqis in the last several months myself, had them to the White House. The president (President George W Bush)and I have met with them, various groups and individuals, people who have devoted their lives from the outside to trying to change things inside Iraq. And like Kanan Makiya who's a professor at Brandeis, but an Iraqi, he's written great books about the subject, knows the country intimately, and is a part of the democratic opposition and resistance. 

The read we get on the people of Iraq is there is no question but what they want to the get rid of Saddam Hussein and they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come to do that.

The reality of it all is Vice President Richard Cheney and President George W Bush could not have been more wrong. The answers Dick Cheney gave to Tim Russert were later proven to be figments of Dick Cheney's imagination on the Drumbeat to war in Iraq. The interview with Dick Cheney by Tim Russert was one of few serious penetrating inquisition by the press truly examining the consequences if the prediction my the Bush administration turn sour and they did.

 A total of 4,486 U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2012, The war has killed at least 134,000 Iraqi civilians and may have contributed to the deaths of as many as four times that number, according to the Costs of War Project by the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.

The U.S. war in Iraq has cost $1.7 trillion with an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans, expenses that could grow to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades counting interest

Exerts meet the Press, March 16 2003

"This is the guy who tried to kill my dad."

President George W Bush on Iraq War , "I have No Regrets".

President George W. Bush, Discussing the threat posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Bush said,

 "After all, this is the guy who tried to kill my dad." 

10/29/2001, Michael Leeden, American Enterprise Institute,

"Just wage a total war against these tyrants; I think we will do very well and our children will sing great songs about us years from now."

10/7/2002, George W. Bush, President,

"The Iraqi regime . . . possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons. We know that the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas."

09/18/2002,  Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense (before Congress):

"We do know that the Iraqi regime has chemical and biological weapons. His regime has amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons -- including VX, sarin, cyclosarin and mustard gas. ... His regime has amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of biological weapons—including anthrax and botulism toxin, and possibly smallpox." (presentation to Congress)

 11/01/2002, George W. Bush, President,

"... for the sake of protecting our friends and allies, the United States will lead a mighty coalition of freedom-loving nations and disarm Saddam Hussein. See, I can't imagine what was going through the mind of this enemy when they hit us. They probably thought the national religion was materialism, that we were so selfish and so self-absorbed that after 9/11/2001 this mighty nation would take a couple of steps back and file a lawsuit.

 03/16/2003, Dick Cheney, Vice President,

"My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. . . . I think it will go relatively quickly, . . . [in] weeks rather than months."

The reasons for the Iraq war remain a serious question in Americans mind, closure is still a long way decades away from the Iraq real effect on the United States and the world at large. The immediate effect of over 4000 lives lost, the increasing thousands and thousands of injuries to our troops and their long term or life time care. A financial cost that will reach closer to 2.5 Trillion Dollars on the United States Credit Card creating deficits for the foreseeable future.

Of all the statements above on the reason for the war only one has so far proven to be true, the question is, did our Political leaders lie and take this country to war?.  

MIDDLE CLASS forced into New Posture

 From 26% unemployment or under employment, one trillion dollars in student Loans due, unprecedented Home foreclosure, Wall Street and the Banks praying on the public.

Middle class under attack

There are two Classes of workers in America  the middle Class the real growth engine of the economy and and the investor Class with access to capital who claim by some to be the,  "Job Creators". Today the middle class is in disarray and without Jobs medical coverage and loosing their homes. The Job Creators are sitting on the sidelines with over Three trillion dollars in Cash  complaining that there is too much uncertainty so the environment is not conducive to investment. The continued growth of the stock market and Corporate America reporting Record Profits debunk that myth and does not represent a poor investment climate. Ronald Reagan began to destroy the Middle Class in the 1980s attacking unions and any means of representation the middle Class had by the arbitrary firing of Air Traffic controllers who were exercising their legitimate right to strike.

  

. The tearing down of the middle class exploded after the 2010 Congressional and Local Elections effected by newly elected Republican Governors, Democrat Governors in conservative States and Republicans in congress and the Senate under the Phony Banner of balancing State Budgets. With forceful Legislative actions like those taken in the States of Wisconsin by Governor Scott walker and Ohio By Governor John Kasic.These Governors while taking benefits from Public sector workers gave enormous Tax cuts to the millionaires who funded their Elections.

Middle Class under Attack